Month: October 2009

Sunday marks a historic day…Brett Favre returns to Lambeau Field. Many Packers fans are conflicted about whether or not to boo the legend. Former Packer LeRoy Bulter advises: “But if you’re going to stand up wearing Packer clothing or a Packer uniform and cheer when Brett Favre comes out, you should bring a bag…

Currently, organic farming supplies less than 3% of America’s food, but this figure is on the rise. Does organic farming provide a “sustainable” of how to grow food in the next millennium? Paul Roberts thinks not. Eliminating chemical fertilizers and pesticides would reduce crop yields. Thus, the amount of additional farmland that would be needed…

Currently there are about 45 million uninsured individuals in the United States. The Urban Institute predicts would happen to the number of individuals uninsured under the following of reforms. Expand Medicaid to individuals with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL): 17 million uninsured would receive insurance Provide subsidies to individuals…

In an article called “That Loving Feeling,” Judy Capko gives some tips for providers on how to treat patients. Some gems include: “A sign in sheet is an excuse to ignore patients.” Nurses and receptionists need to introduce themselves. Otherwise, patients just feel if they are another name in the schedule. Ambience makes a difference.…

Dr. Bruce Douglas’s perspective on taking money out of health care: “Health care is a ‘service,’ provided by health care practitioners, that does not belong in the competitive, so-called free enterprise marketplace. Of course, doctors have to be paid, but the payment should not come directly from the patient. Reception areas in doctors’ offices should be…

As I predicted, the H1N1 influenza virus has returned to the U.S. this fall. FluTracker gives a visual representation of the spread of the disease. In response to the spread of H1N1, President Obama declared the H1N1 outbreak a national emergency. The declaration will “allow a hospital to set up a make-shift satellite facility…

Public option? More competition? Health care costs go up not matter what. A history of Group Health Cooperative. Why the cost of lab tests is cheaper in Germany than in France. A Detailed Report on the Private Healthcare Services Market in Eastern Europe. Hedghog Health Insurance.

“…individuals who carry the [Huntington Disease] genetic mutation are up to 5 times as likely as the general population to own long-term care insurance…relatively limited increases in genetic information may threaten the viability of private long-term care insurance.” Oster et al. (2009) “Genetic Adverse Selection: Evidence from Long-Term Care Insurance and Huntington Disease” NBER Working…

Public-Private partnerships (PPP) are becoming increasingly popular. In Europe, the annual value of PPP is 22.9 billion Euros. In the United States, where until recently PPPs played a smaller role than in many European countries, financing of transportation infrastructure via PPPs increased almost tenfold, on an annual basis, between 2006-2008 and the preceding decade (1996-2005).…